Mission and Outreach

The congregation of First Presbyterian Church of La Grange is committed to serving others within our own community, the Chicagoland area and throughout the world through a variety of hands-on programs as well as financial support.

Local Mission

A few of our members pose with produce collected for “Share the Harvest” before it is delivered to the local food pantry.

2 Cents-a-Meal

Members are encouraged to save two cents for every meal they have each day, and a collection is received the first Sunday of every month in the Narthex. The money goes through the Presbytery of Chicago to support local food programs, or to fund monthly local mission projects that provide food for local community members.

The Caring Place

This after-school tutoring and activity program for at-risk children is held at the La Grange Community Center. We provide food for children’s dinner plus monies for special activities and materials during the year.

BEDS (Building Ecumenical Discipleship through Sheltering)

BEDS is an ecumenical cooperative that provides services and night-time shelter to the homeless. Volunteers are needed for about four hours a month to provide hospitality at a homeless shelter site or to do laundry, cooking or cleaning.

LATH (La Grange Area Transitional Housing)

In an attempt to help people on limited incomes, LATH provides for up to two years of temporary, subsidized housing. Volunteers are needed to act as mentors in helping people maintain budgets and get back on their feet.

Food Pantry

Our church supports the La Grange Area Food Pantry at Second Baptist Church. Donations of non-perishable food and household items are collected year-round, and each month, the Mission & Outreach Committee posts a "Special of the Month" to meet special needs. See our News page for the current item of the month.

Share the Harvest

Throughout the summer and fall, members gather their harvest, whether from their garden, the local farmer’s market or the produce section at the local grocery, and bring it to the Share the Harvest basket. Each Monday morning the produce is taken to the food pantry.

Our church supports ICP, a non-profit organization that works with volunteers to provide rides to older adults in the Lyons, Proviso and Riverside Townships to medical appointments, therapies and life-enhancing errands such as the grocery store, bank, and church, at no cost to clients.

Giving Trees

During Advent, gift tags are placed on our “Giving Trees” and marked with the age and gender of gift recipients. Members are encouraged to select a tag, purchase and wrap a gift for delivery to a needy child in Chicago or a needy senior citizen from the La Grange area.

Vacation Bible School (VBS) Mission Project

Each year, our Children’s Ministry Committee selects a mission project to coincide with our weeklong Vacation Bible School program. In past years, children have been encouraged to bring in donations of school supplies and items of the food pantry, which they organize on the last day of VBS.

To get involved with any of our mission projects, contact the Church Office at 708.354.0771 or admin@fpclg.org.

Chicago Mission

The Monday night Food for Life crew prepares a delicious Thanksgiving dinner to be served at First Presbyterian in Chicago to those in need.

Rogers Park Clothing Pantry

Ongoing donations of gently used strollers, clothing, shoes, toys, children’s books and household articles are delivered to the clothing pantry at Rogers Park Presbyterian Church. Contact Linda Vebeck at 708.352.2513 to schedule a time to drop off at her home (she is also willing to pick up from you). Please do not leave donations at the church. Thank you!

POP TAB COLLECTION FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

Ronald McDonald House receives the market value of the recycled metal from pop tabs plus a charitable match from United Scrap Metal and raised more than $40,000 in 2015 through this program. You can drop off your pop tabs any time in our east cloister.

Chicago Food Depository

Volunteers work a three-hour shift, which provides food credit to a food pantry. Our church organizes outings to the Depository a few times per year.

To get involved with any of our mission projects, contact the Church Office at 708.354.0771 or admin@fpclg.org.

World Mission

Volunteers help to pack hundreds of meals for distribution through Feed My Starving Children.

Feed My Starving Children

Periodically, we organize a group to pack meals that are specially formulated for malnourished children and sent to partners around the world for use in orphanages, schools, clinics and feeding programs.

PC(USA) Special Offerings

Throughout the year, we promote and collect four different special offerings of the Presbyterian Church (USA)—One Great Hour, Pentecost, Peacemaking and Christmas Joy. Children participate in the One Great Hour offering during Lent using fish banks and suggested giving activities.

Sponsorship of Palestinian Christian Students

We sponsor Christian Palestinian children in the West Bank to enable them to attend a Christian school near their homes. This program is run by the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation.

presbyterian giving

We make direct financial donations to fund the raising of farm animals in Third World nations. The children in our Faith Forest program also raise money to buy pigs, sheep or chicks for developing nations. Each year they vote on a particular animal, and their weekly offerings support this project. These gifts help a family to be self-sustaining.

To get involved with any of our mission projects, contact the Church Office at 708.354.0771 or admin@fpclg.org.